Scientists close to turning air into fuel

Scientists are close to making carbon capture work. Carbon capture is taking waste carbon dioxide (CO2) from power plants and storing it so it does not harm the environment. A company called Carbon Engineering say its scientists are close to capturing CO2 from the air and turning it into carbon-neutral fuel. This is a big step forward in the fight against global warming. The scientists also said they have reduced the cost of carbon capture, to as low as $94 per ton of CO2 captured. Scientists used to say carbon capture would cost about $1,000 per ton captured.

Carbon Engineering’s technology works by sucking air into special towers. CO2 is mixed with a liquid and frozen. It is then heated and mixed with hydrogen. This produces fuels like gasoline and jet fuel. Carbon Engineering’s Professor David Keith is hopeful about the future of this process. He thinks his company could fight climate change. He said: “After 100 years of practical engineering…we can confidently say that…air capture…is a [realistic] and buildable technology for producing carbon-neutral fuels in the immediate future, and for removing carbon in the long run.”